In 1989, RUF test driver Stefan Roser drove the CTR around the Nürburgring circuit. The laps were recorded on camera and published by Ruf in an innovative, exciting, and influential video titled “Faszination on the Nürburgring.”
The CTR “Yellowbird” is undoubtedly one of the most famous cars in history. It radically changed the landscape of supercars in the late 1980s.
The following article is from the November 2013 edition of Car and Driver magazine:
“Frayed at the edges, its bright yellow paint flaking and crazed and covered in insect corpses, the Porsche is parked among modified 911s of all ages. To many, it would seem just another 911, retouched by one of the many tuners and hack mechanics to be found all over Germany. But we would say this is the iconic tuned 911. Even at first glance, it seems as exotic as any supercar before or since. And the strangest part of this story is that this narrow-hipped little 911 isn’t really a Porsche at all. It’s a Ruf CTR, one of 29 made, but you might know it simply as the ‘Yellowbird.'”
For those who think of Sesame Street when they hear the name, here’s a brief synopsis: In 1974, Alois Ruf took over his father’s company, Ruf Auto, a successful bus-manufacturing business. But young Alois was more interested in sports cars, specifically the 911. By 1977, Ruf had earned a reputation for adding power to the then-new 930 Turbo. As Porsche only offered Turbos with a four-speed transmission, Ruf made his own five-speed gearbox in 1981. That same year, German legislation recognized Ruf as more than a mere Porsche tuner: the company was renamed as a manufacturer.
What made Ruf a star was its participation in Road & Track’s top speed competition in 1987. Ruf took its new model, the CTR (Group C Turbo Ruf), to Volkswagen’s test track at Ehra-Lessien, Germany. There, a rather ordinary-looking 911 (except for its yellow paint) killed all comers by topping 211 mph. Photographer John Lamm, now part of our team, was there and dubbed the car the “Yellowbird.” On its way to that outrageous top speed, the CTR registered a 0-to-100-mph time of 7.3 seconds. The 211-mph-modified CTR put Ruf on the map.
Today, the understated (well, except for the fact that it’s yellow) 911 with its Carrera 3.2 shell – narrowed, without rain gutters, and equipped with a single 935-style side mirror for aerodynamics – warms up as the key waits in the ignition. NACA ducts cut into the rear fiberglass fenders feed the 3.4-liter flat six-biturbo engine, and a subtly wider Turbo-style wing adds stability at high speeds. This is the same car that exceeded 211 mph and starred in Faszination, a video that Ruf recorded in the late ’80s in which the CTR slid through Nürburgring. It’s the Debbie Does Dallas of car videos: groundbreaking, captivating, and influential.
Inside, it’s an old-school 911 with a touch of RS style. Like all air-cooled 911s, it feels narrow and upright, and the hinged pedals on the floor are a bit uncomfortable. It sounds pretty ordinary when it starts up. The sound is rough, but it doesn’t indicate that there are 469 hp and 408 lb-ft of torque behind the rear wheels. Ruf claims it weighs only 1,579 kg, which would give the CTR a better power-to-weight ratio than the 2014 911 Turbo S.
Without forced induction, the CTR is as easy to drive as any Carrera 3.2, but it feels lighter and more agile, and the chassis is much more solid thanks to the roll cage. The five-speed transmission has long throws and requires deliberation and practice. But, as with the manual steering, there’s something special and nostalgic about a dogleg gearbox. The jittery steering and the sound of the KKK turbos building up and then fading out put you in tune with the machinery, but nothing prepares you for the big hit.
The turbos arrive with all the subtlety of an improvised explosive device and hurl the Yellowbird forward with terrifying force. When the rear suspension squats during hard acceleration, suddenly you’re looking up at the sky. Incredibly, the rear tires manage to cope with the aggression, and one gets the feeling that the claim of 469 hp could be modest; connoisseurs admit that 550 hp could be more accurate. Suffice it to say, it’s quite easy to slide with power.
Alois Ruf wanted to create something with race prototype performance, but in a discreet and usable package. He has achieved it”.
In 2017, RUF updated this model, and it is still available for purchase if someone has the euros for such indulgences.
